How Much Does the Knife Matter in Carving Wooden Gifts?
In this blog post we will explain how knives affect handmade wooden gifts, both in theory and through the experience of practical carving. We will answer this question by looking at the angle of the blade, the bevel, and the thickness. At the end we synthesize all the aspects and give a reasonable recommendation to the beginners of wood carving.
The effect of blade angle on wood carving
In our practical experience of carving wooden gifts, we have found that knives with thinner blades are used with less effort than knives with thicker blades, and knives with smaller blade angles are sharper than larger ones.
As shown in the picture, the rightmost carving knife has a smaller angle than the one in the center, i.e., the angle formed by the front and back sides of the knife is smaller, then it will be sharper when carving wood.
Does the bevel of the blade affect carving wooden gifts?
Many wood carvers have noticed that there is another difference between different carving knives, namely the single-sided and double-sided blades.
As shown in the picture, a blade that has a bevel on only one side is called a single-sided edge, and one that has both sides is called a double-sided edge. In practice, they can both be used to carve wooden gifts, and there is little difference in the use of these two types of knives.
However, it is easier to sharpen a single-sided blade because it only needs to be sharpened on one beveled side, and the other side is flat, which makes it easier to sharpen.
What is the thickness of the knife blade required for handmade wooden figurines?
The thickness of the blade is generally positively correlated to the length of the blade, if the blade is longer, it will naturally have to be thicker because the strength required to use it will not be at the same level, so a long blade will usually be thicker than a short one.
The thicker the blade, the greater the angle of the blade, and the greater the angle of the blade, the greater the pressure of the cut into the wood. When we use these knives to carve wooden gifts it requires more force. In contrast, if the carver has less strength, we recommend the use of thinner knives.
Final conclusions on the choice of carving knives
In this blog post we have compared the impact that the angle, bevel, and thickness of the knife blade brings to carving wooden figurines. So, is there an optimal solution for carving knives?
Based on our years of experience and the feedback of many carvers, we have concluded that for small wooden figurines, a knife that is less labor intensive is the best choice, allowing you to be more efficient, make fewer mistakes, and focus on the details of your work.
However, the downside of this type of knife is that when the blade is angled very low, the edge portion of the blade also becomes fragile and needs to be used with more care.
As a result, the knives sold by knife manufacturers on the market do not make very thin blades, and beginners may chip the blade off due to incorrect use, thus assuming that it is the quality of the knife that is at fault.
For professional wood carvers, who have extensive skills in sharpening and using knives, they will re-sharpen the existing blade to make it less angular, thus increasing the efficiency of carving.
